Switch



Patented oa. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

HARRY E. NORVIEL, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL MOTORS COR- PORATION, A CORPORATION F DELAWARE.

SWITCH.

application led February 11, 1922. Serial No. 535,920.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. NoRvIEL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Anderson, county of Madison,

State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to electrical switches and Iparticularly to that type of switch which is adapted for use on the instrument board of an automobile.

The presentinvention includes improvements on the electric switch shown in my copending application Serial No. 481,138, filed June 28, 1921, in which application is disclosed a switch having a glass cover for the switch dial, through which extend switch controlling' members such as switch levers and a lock member for locking one or more of the switch members in position.

It is one of the objects of the "present invention to prevent dirt or other foreign mat-- ter from entering between the dial and cover which would tend to obscure the letteringon the dial and also detract from the.

appearance of the switch.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference'. being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the prese-nt invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. lis'a front view of a switch embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a front view of a switch dial and dial cover;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, certain parts being omitted for the sake of clearness; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear view of the switch looking in the direction of the arrow 5 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, a switch case 20 includes a substantially cylindrical side wall 21 and a front wall 22 which is apertured to provide for the extension thereinto of a numcircuit connections.

of an assembly ber of switch controlling elements such as a pair of switch shafts 23 each of which is operated by a lever 24, and a lock member 25 of the Yale type. Lock member 25 is preferably provided with one or more'lugs 26 which may be secured to the case 2O in any convenient manner as by means of screws 27, one being shown in Fig. 4. Each shaft 23 carries a multiple contact element 28 provided with a plurality of contact arms 29, one of these arms being shown in Fig. 4. Member 29 cooperates with a plurality of stationary contacts, not shown, and these contacts are suitably mountedvin a switch back plate carrying a plurality of terminals 30 which are connected to the various stationary contacts of the switch in any suitable manner to effect the desired As the exact nature of the switch does not of itself form a part of the present invention, further disclosure thereof is thought to be unnecessary. The exact nature of the switch contact members is more particularly described and claimed in my copending application referred to.

The switch case 20 is provided with an annular flange 31 which is substantially circular in contour and forms a part of the front face of the switch case, and adjacent this ange 31 is located a ring 32 of relatively soft material such as paper. Next to the ring 32 is located a switch dial 33 and next to the dial 33 is located the dial cover 34 of transparent material, preferably glass. Dial 33 and cover 34 are provided with aligned holes for the projection therethrou dh of the switch controlling members 23 and 25. In Fig. 3, -35 indicates the aligned holes through the dial and cover for the lock 25 and the numerals 36 indicate the aligned holes through the dial and cover for the switch shafts 23 respectivel By referring to Fig. 4 it will be noted t at the main body portion of the dial 33 presses against the packing ring 32 but is spaced from the cover 34. The dial 33 is provided with an annular edge flan e 37 and with annular flanges 38 and 39 a jacent the holes 35 and 36. These ianges 37, 38, and 39 exwith a ange 43 which is bent over or spun over the rear side of the flange 38 of dial 33. After the dial 33, cover 34, and sleeve 40 have been assembled, a sleeve 41 extends through each of the holes 36, and each sleeve 41 is provided with a previously formed annular ange 44 which lits within and bears against a recess 45 provided in the cover 34.

After the members 33, 34, and 41 have been assembled, the rear edge of the sleeve 41 is bent over or spun over to provide a ange 46 bearing against the rear edge of the flan e 39.

T e body portion of the dial 33 is held against the ring 32 and the flange 37 of dial 33 is held against .the cover 34 by means of bezel ring 50 having a flange 51 bearing against the beveled edge 52 of the cover 34,

Vand having a plurality of ears 53 each of which is bent over and into a notch 54 provided on the rear face of the flange 31 of case 20. Before bending these ears over they project rearward from the ring 50 as indicated at 53a in Fig. 2.

It is vapparent from the foregoing that a space has been provided between the main body of the dial 33 and the cover 34 to permit raised .lettering being placed on the dial 33 Without the lettering coming in contact with the back Iof the cover 34. This v space between the dial and cover is effectively sealed in the manner dcribed. It is very important to provide an effective seal between the dial and the cover in order that the lettering on the dial may not become obscure and in order that the appearance of the switch face may not be spoiled by any dirt or foreign matter becoming deposited on the face of the dial. The switch cover 34 is preferably constructed of molded glass having its face ground and burred to present a handsome appearance and it is apparent that simply by keeping the front of the glass cover clean the'good appearance of the switch may be maintained and the dial will be clearly visible since the possibility of dirt v entering between the dial and cover has been substantially eliminated.

While the form of mechanism .herein shown and described constitutesa preferred form of embodiment of the invention, it is `to be understood -that other forms might be adopted, all coming Within the scope of the clalms which follow.

What I claim is as follows:

1. In a switch, the combination with a switch case, a dial and a transparent dial cover spaced apart and having aligned openings, and switch controlling members extending through said openings and'into said cover spaced apart and having aligned open` ings, and switch controlling members extending through said openings and into said case; of means for sealing said dial to said dial cover around the openings; and means for sealing said dial to said dial cover at the. outer edges thereof.

3. In a switch, the combination with a switch case, a dial anda dial cover spaced apart over the eaterportion of their areas and having al1 ed openings, and switch controlling memeirs extending through said openings and into said case; of means for holding said dial and said dial cover in engagement adjacent the openings; and means for holding said dial and dial cover in engagement at the outer edges thereof, whereby the space between said dial and cover is substantially closed oli'.

4. In a switch, the combination with a switch case having openings through the front face thereof, and switch controlling membersextending through said openings;`

of a dial having openings aligned with the openings in the case, said dial having flanges surrounding said openings and spaced from the main portion of the dial; a transparent dial cover having openings aligned with the openings in the dial; sleeves each extending into aligned openings in said dial and cover,

and having end flanges bearing, respectively against the front of the dial cover and against the back of said flanges of the dial; and means for securing the dial and cover to the casing.

5. In a switch, the combination with a switch case having openings through the front face thereof, and switch controlling members extending through said openings; of a dial having openings aligned with 'the openings in the case; a transparent dial cover having openings aligned with the openings in the dial; sleeves each extending into aligned openings in said dial and cover,

and having end flanges bearing, respectively, against the front of the dial cover and against the back of the dial; and means for Securing the dial and cover to the casing.

6. In a switch, the combination with a switch case; of a dial having an edge Bange raised from the `main portion thereof, a transparent dial cover; means for securing the dial and dial cover to the case with the edge ienge of the. dial in engagement with the back of the dial cover; and e packing ring between the dial and the switch case.

7 In a, switch, the combination with a switch case including e fiange extending from the main body thereof; of a. dial heving an edge tiange raised from the main por tion thereof; a dial cover; n, packing ring between the mein portion of the dial and the case; and a bezel ring having a iienge i0 bearing against the dial cover and having fingers bent over the case Hen e, Whereb to secure the diei and cover to t e ease Wit the dial iange in engagement with the back of the dial cover;

In testimony whereof I hereto aix my signature.

HARRY E. NORVIEL. 

